Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Hollande announced 6 billion more funds for the army – Les Echos

Drawing the consequences of attacks in January, the head of state announced Wednesday morning an effort “considerable” for the Defence. 18,500 posts on the 34,000 that were removed by 2019 will be maintained.

Christmas has come early for the army. At the end of a Defence Council on Wednesday morning, Francois Hollande announced that credits the military planning law would benefit from an effort “considerable” to learn lessons of the attacks January. In total, there are 6 billion additional euros that the head of state decided to allocate to the great and silent, despite the imperatives of reducing public deficits.

Francois Hollande first recalled that the 31.4 billion expected in 2015 would be well with go. But, and inflection is notable, all come from budgetary allocations in good and due form. In other words, goodbye – at least for this year – the very controversial project of rental equipment in the study for more than six months.

Defended by Defence, faute de mieux, but opposed by Michel Sapin to its harmful effects on debt, the project was expected to recover 2.2 billion initially expected from the assignment of frequencies DTT digital terrestrial television. “The Ministry of Defence is sure to be able to have these credits” , Francois Hollande promised.

Prolonged operation Sentinel

Second major announcement: to finance the extension in the duration of the Sentinel operation – that is to say to deploy 7,000 men assigned to surveillance of the sensitive points of the territory – as well as to continue the high-level deployment of troops abroad (Sahel, Iraq, Central African Republic …), it is 3.8 billion more that will be allocated over the period 2016-2019.

Francois Hollande is go into details, saying only that this sum covers “for many funds of persons and equipment” . The army made its accounts and believes he is saving 18,500 posts on the 34,000 promised the deletion in the military planning law to do whatever is asked.

The money also will fund the maintenance of equipment, which are experienced by Opex, but also to acquire new ones. Again no detail, the head of state just evoking aerospace, cyber defense or intelligence.